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I've decided to buy a set of Zipp 202 Firecrests. The only question is do I go with stock 188 hubs or have them built with DT Swiss 240 hubs? I've never liked zipp hubs but hear the 188s are good.. Love the 240s and think they will build into a stiffer, more serviceable wheels. I can get the zips hubs version for about $2000. The DT will run $2600.....

What way would you go? Is the extra $600 worth it? Opinions please....

I've never heard that about 240s. I assume you mean non-drive side spacing. Most people I've spoken with compare the j-bend spoke on the 240 to the straight pull spokes on the 188. I have a set of enve 45s with 240s and the are very stiff. Any experience with the Zipp hubs?

DT 240s rear road hubs use 15mm axles, while Zipp 188s use 17mm axles. DT 240s are claimed to weigh 105g for the front and 208g for the rear while the zipp 88/188 pair is claimed at 98g and 200g respectively.

These are only calculations, but from a theoretical standpoint, the DT hubs offer no performance advantages from a lateral stiffness or weight savings comparison. If you service your own hubs personally, the DTs could be worth the investment. If you have a shop you trust that can deal with Zipp, then I can't see your expenses there being large enough to make up the difference.

The only thing that bothers me about the Zipp is the 188 rear. There is slop/play, even when you tighten the pre-load up. I mean 2-3mm back/forth between the pads you can wiggle the wheel. Tightening the pre-load will never remove it, and Zipp says this is "normal". Adding more pre-load only adds more drag to the tune of 3-5w or more, and still play.

So if there is one component of a Zipp wheelset I would replace when the hub/bearing goes, it would be the 188 rebuilt with something like the Alchemy UL that is out now. It looks a lot like the 188 hubs with no markings on it.

I think the front 88 hub is a fine hub, no problems I've heard of or experienced personally. It rolls great and always smooth. Never need to touch it, no play/slop in that thing. But you can't say the same for the 188 hub, even though it is the latest version for their wheels, it still have issues that make me not have much confidence in it at times.

I've posted this before in other threads. I'm secretly hoping (guess it isn't a secret anymore except to my wheels), that my rear 188 hub just implodes or has issues so I can rebuild it with the new Alchemy UL rear hub and be done with it.

Rims/CXRays, hard to beat them on the market today, but that rear hub...arrrgh...

If you are doing a custom build, do something different with the rear. Otherwise, you could live with the 188 for a long time, it isn't that horrible.

As far as 188 rear hub play goes, if it's a 2013 wheel, with the black left end cap, that's (finally) been 100% addressed. the axle/bearing tolerance is much more snug, there isn't the radial space that was previously causing the lateral play.Incidentally, on older 188 hubs, I was putting a thin coat of fingernail polish(!) on the bearing seat areas to tighten up the fit. It works. Sucks that you had to do that, I know.I prefer the 188 hubs over the DT 240s. Better geometry, night-and-day coasting drag, etc. And I've ridden my 101s in the rain (a lot, they're on my commuter bike) and they're 100%. I do occasionally open them for inspection, but haven't ever seen moisture past the seals. A couple customers have toasted one bearing here n there, they've been the abusing types in general, and replacement is easy.

thisisatest wrote:As far as 188 rear hub play goes, if it's a 2013 wheel, with the black left end cap, that's (finally) been 100% addressed. the axle/bearing tolerance is much more snug, there isn't the radial space that was previously causing the lateral play.Incidentally, on older 188 hubs, I was putting a thin coat of fingernail polish(!) on the bearing seat areas to tighten up the fit. It works. Sucks that you had to do that, I know.I prefer the 188 hubs over the DT 240s. Better geometry, night-and-day coasting drag, etc. And I've ridden my 101s in the rain (a lot, they're on my commuter bike) and they're 100%. I do occasionally open them for inspection, but haven't ever seen moisture past the seals. A couple customers have toasted one bearing here n there, they've been the abusing types in general, and replacement is easy.

Interesting. Wonder if Zipp will take a wheel back and replace the hub with a 2013. The 2012 FC still has the play. I checked a fellow competitors 303 FC clincher, same issue...assume his was a 2012 also. The wiggle/play, even when you go slightly tighter on the pre-load, is still there.

Or, I guess I could just send it to someone like Fairwheel or Wheelbuilder, and have them put a new Alchemy UL hub on the back and string it back up. Problem solved.